Learn More About Web Design Classes in Denver
Web design is the art of improving the user experience aspects of website and app development rather than software development. A Web Designer works on a website's appearance, layout, and content, with a focus on creating a positive user experience through navigation, layout, SEO, and more.
Web design has been around since the launch of the internet. The first website was created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991, igniting the spark for the lightning-fast development of the online world, virtual retail, and digital marketing. Landing pages sprouted up around 1993, and drew users in with enticing invitations to “Click Here to Enter”, or “Sign Up Now, ” the original “call to action” strategy.
According to Forbes, 71% of businesses now have websites, making web design professionals indispensable for modern commerce. As a Web Designer, you could be a vital part of a brand's online presence, utilizing both your creative and strategic skill sets to solidify the brand's online presence and increase engagements and sales.
What Can You Do with Web Design Training?
As a web design professional, you’ll be able to conceptualize and craft elements such as color schemes, typography, images, and graphics. You’ll also be able to strategize navigation, ensuring that your intended user can effortlessly find what they’re looking for. Creating a cohesive and engaging user experience, whether that's on a website or an app, is crucial to effective web design, but you’ll also be able to create various visual assets like logos, icons, illustrations, and images.
You could use all of these skills to give back, helping a nonprofit or local community organization create or update its website. Or you could build your own website completely customized to your goals and personality, showcasing whatever you may be passionate about. Other possibilities include creating an ecommerce store that can become a full-time business, serve as a creative outlet, or provide supplemental income. You can even develop features that help optimize a website or application. Web design skills can lead to both a fulfilling hobby and a successful career, and choosing between the two is entirely up to you and your goals.
What Will I Learn in a Web Design Bootcamp?
Web design is equal parts creative and technical, so you’ll study a wide range of subjects and skills in whichever course you choose. Whether you attend in-person, live online, or on-demand, you’ll work through real-world examples and hands-on projects to become an expert in web design. Below are the top skills you’ll learn in a web design training.
Programming Languages
Most courses will cover at least a few programming languages such as HTML to mark up content, CSS for styling, and JavaScript to add interactivity. These programming languages will be used to build your designs, bringing your creative vision to life. While it isn’t necessary to master all of them, knowing the basics in one or two will be extremely helpful.
Content Management Systems
You’ll also typically master at least one content management system, like WordPress, and you’ll probably learn how to design webpage layouts in Figma as well. Content management systems like these will help you with things like website copy, SEO content, and webpage layout and design.
UX Skills
The basics of UX (user experience) are typically covered in a web design course. You’ll learn about topics like responsive design, wireframing, prototyping, user research, usability testing, visual design, and user interface design. These skills will help you create a more user-friendly and engaging website, improving the experience of your target audience.
Communication
A Web Designer needs the ability to talk with a company about what they want, ask questions about the intended audience, and convey their ideas for an effective site. Being able to communicate is just the start; companies want a responsive Designer too. A responsive Designer keeps a company or client informed, explains issues as they arise, and discusses deadlines.
Digital Marketing
Knowing the basics of digital marketing will be extremely helpful as a Web Designer. Both web design and digital marketing focus on the user (or customer) experience, but they each have their own touchpoints. Digital marketing focuses on tactics like articles, emails, social media, and text messages and app pushes. It also has some overlap with web design, specifically when it comes to writing content for websites and webpages. Having a general understanding of the basic principles of digital marketing will help you to design from a more holistic perspective, creating websites that are easy to navigate, visually enticing, and help your brand or business engage with your target audience.
How Hard is It to Learn Web Design?
It’s a common misconception that web design is complicated to learn, due to its association with programming. In reality, learning web design is fairly simple. As a Web Designer, your focus will be on creating the visual layout and seamless navigation of a website, so you’ll rely on Web Developers for all things programming. Learning a new skill or subject always has its challenges but with the right curriculum, an expert instructor, and ongoing support from a quality training program, anyone can master web design.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Web Design?
For many, the hardest aspect of learning web design will be in the early stages when students are navigating the field. Web design projects are rarely the responsibility of a single person, and complicated projects involve large teams of dozens or even hundreds of specialized professionals. Learning how to properly collaborate, including how to effectively communicate and receive feedback, can be challenging to those without previous experience. Additionally, most students won’t know what they want to do as Web Designers, so the early process may involve a lot of trial and error. If you’re willing to tackle this initial learning curve and have the right amount of passion and dedication, learning web design shouldn’t be too challenging overall.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Web Design?
The amount of time it takes you to learn web design will depend on several factors. Firstly, having previous experience with similar subjects (web development, UX/UI, etc.) may help you learn web design faster than someone that’s entirely new to all things web. How much time you can dedicate daily will also impact how long it takes you to master web design. Are you able to commit to full-time hours or can you only manage an hour in the evenings outside of work? The more time you can commit per day, the quicker you can gain mastery.
Generally speaking, web design bootcamps typically take 3-4 months to complete and teach all the skills you need to qualify for a Web Developer job. Learning web development from less intensive online courses could take anywhere from a single month to several years, depending on how much time you devote to your courses.
Should I Learn Web Design in Person or Online?
There are many factors to consider when answering this question. Firstly, you’ll need to decide what learning environment is best suited for you. Do you excel in a collaborative environment that allows you to interact with your peers and receive instant feedback from your instructor? Or, do you prefer a more solitary learning environment, perhaps one where you can learn at your own speed?
You’ll also need to decide how much time you can commit to your education and what level of flexibility your schedule requires. Are you looking to dive deeply into an intensive program? Do you work full-time and require your classes to be scheduled for evening and weekend hours?
In-person classes offer face-to-face interaction with your fellow students and your expert instructor. This collaborative environment is available for both full-time and part-time classes and provides structure and accountability, two things that can help you succeed. Online courses may lack this in-person interaction, but they make up for it with increased flexibility. Live virtual courses still offer instant feedback from your instructor and interactions with other students, while on-demand virtual training allows for the most flexibility since you can decide where and when you learn.
The good news is that, no matter which version you attend, you can obtain a quality web design education with a top-notch curriculum and expert instructors.
Can I Learn Web Design Free Online?
Technically, it is possible to learn web design for free online. YouTube videos, blogs, and free short workshops can all be a great way to learn the basics without purchasing any educational content. (Don’t forget to watch the most recent uploads so you’re learning the latest trends and techniques.)
But, when it comes to the more advanced skills, an in-depth training course is going to be your best bet. These courses will consist of a curriculum developed and taught by experts with the chance to receive feedback or troubleshoot any issues with your instructor or a support team. Formal training can also provide the structure and accountability that some students need to stay focused, creating an environment where you’re more likely to succeed. So, if you’re looking to master more than just the basics, a formal workshop or class is a better choice than free online resources.
What Should I Learn Alongside Web Design?
A few programming languages will be essential to any Web Designer: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These languages, however, are only the basics. To create compelling websites or web apps, you’ll need the assistance of additional web development languages like PHP, Python, and/or Java to enhance content and structure. Don’t worry about mastering all of these before your training—most classes will cover at least a few of these. Having experience with any of them will give you an advantage in a web design training course.
User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are crucial to web design and development. UX design involves attending to how the experience makes the user feel and how easy it is for the user to accomplish their desired tasks. UI design considers all the visual and interactive elements of a product interface, including buttons, icons, spacing, typography, color schemes, and responsive design. While these will often be specific roles within a company, having experience with both will be extremely beneficial as a Web Developer.
It’s important to know how visual design works because being able to tell the difference between good and bad design will make learning web development and design significantly easier. It’s helpful to know things like the rules of composition and understand how elements like shapes, space, color, and geometry come together. Having a keen eye for formatting, color schemes, and typography can help you create more visually appealing and engaging websites.
Industries That Use Web Design
While Denver may be most well-known for the mountains just beyond its borders, the city is a great spot for Web Designers. Several of the top industries in the area are tech-related, like aerospace, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, and energy. These are outlined in more detail below.
Aerospace
Denver’s aerospace industry employs over 33,000 professionals across 290 companies and grew 6.7% in 2021. The aerospace industry has grown 88% over the past two decades in the Denver and Boulder metro areas, according to a CNBC analysis. The region’s corporate roster includes the biggest contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, to the newest commercial space and defense tech startups.
Financial Services
Denver’s financial services industry has expanded for eight consecutive years, increasing 1.2% from 2021 to 2022. Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman all call the region home. Overall, the financial services sector employs 109,280 workers across 32,320 companies, employing 5.3% of the region’s total workforce.
Healthcare and Life Sciences
The Denver-Boulder region is rapidly emerging as a major hub for the life sciences industry, attracting companies that develop cutting-edge medical treatments and technologies. Healthcare and life sciences is one of the fastest growing industry clusters in the Denver South region. Over 4,500 workers power approximately 200 life science companies, while the healthcare side boasts 21,000 workers at almost 2,000 companies.
Energy
Colorado’s energy sector supports nearly 264,000 workers, providing an annual economic impact of $17.2 billion. Nearly 4,500 energy companies in oil, coal, gas, wind, solar, energy efficiency, and sustainable technology contribute to our vibrant energy ecosystem. While the energy and natural resources sector comprises about 3% of Colorado’s workforce, the cluster generates some of the highest per worker income levels in the state. Oil, gas, and coal mining on federal land in Colorado generated $393 million in revenue in FY2022, the most in 14 years.
Web Design Job Titles and Salaries
Web design is a little bit of a “jack-of-all-trades” field. You could work in a variety of industries, housed within a wide range of departments. This adaptability coupled with a high demand also means that there are several job titles you could possess as a web design professional. Some of the most common titles you’ll see are listed below, along with a brief description and what you can expect to earn in each of these positions. Remember, this isn’t an exhaustive list, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for other titles when you begin your job search.
Web Designer
Web Designers craft the visual appearance and workings of a website. Using their understanding of both visual design and technical design principles, they create functional web layouts. Web Designers often work remotely and enjoy the flexibility of freelance work or the stability of working for agencies or businesses. Good Web Designers have the experience and foresight to anticipate the end-user experience and design for ease of use and navigation. On average, you’ll make around $86,000 starting out as a Web Designer in Denver, with the potential to earn much more as your career progresses.
Web Developer
Web Developers build webpages using coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They also program functionality and identify or troubleshoot errors in code. Opportunities exist in front-end, back-end, and full-stack development, and Web Developers usually make $89,000-$122,000 in the Denver area.
Front-end Developer
A Front-end Developer builds the client-side of a website or application and may even update current websites to meet modern standards, create prototypes from wireframes, and create design comps for their employer or client. They usually work alongside Back-end Developers, Designers, Project Managers, and Product Managers to maintain, troubleshoot, and build websites and web platforms. You can make $104,000-$141,000 in this role.
UI Designer
UI Designers are the masterminds behind how an application or webpage looks and feels. UI stands for “user interface” and is the point of contact between humans and computers. Using colors, fonts, patterns, textures, icons, and buttons, UI Designers work with UX (user experience) Designers to improve websites. Some UI Designers may also touch on user experience design issues by using prototyping and user testing to analyze the effectiveness of messaging and ease of use. UI Designers make approximately $92,000 per year.
Web Design Bootcamps Near Me
Noble Desktop offers several courses online and at their Manhattan office that may meet your needs. Their courses often come with additional benefits like 1:1 mentoring, interview prep, portfolio creation, and more. Listed below are several of their course offerings, both virtually and in-person.
This course will teach you to code webpages using HTML and CSS, from structuring and tagging content to styling and making the pages responsive. You’ll gain hands-on experience coding websites from scratch, from uploading to making the site live. You’ll study CSS so you can style the content, create centered page layouts, add background images, style navigation, and make the page responsive so it adapts to various screen sizes using media queries. You’ll also study HTML and learn best practices for structuring and tagging the content of your webpages and how to create webpages with text, images, and more. This course comes with free setup assistance, one optional retake, and a bonus 1:1 training.
This course will help you take your coding skills to the next level. You’ll learn to take full control over the layout of your webpages through an alternate box-model called border-box, use vector graphics (SVG), and create visual effects such as CSS gradients, shadows, and transparent colors (with RGBA). You’ll also explore how positioning works (relative, absolute, fixed), target elements with advanced CSS selectors, and learn the power of CSS variables. This course builds upon Noble’s Web Development with HTML & CSS and is the second class in their Web Design & Web Development Bootcamps.
This in-depth training will teach you how newer CSS techniques are useful and when to use them. CSS Flexbox and CSS Grid are two powerful ways to layout content in a webpage. Flexbox and grid are newer CSS layout technologies aimed at making it easier to create responsive layouts that are optimized for any size screen. Bootstrap uses Flexbox to rapidly code up pages without having to write as much CSS. Throughout this course, you’ll learn how to use CSS Flexbox and Grid to layout and align webpage content and make it adapt to different size screens.
Geared towards programmers, this class will teach you the fundamentals of JavaScript code to create stunning animations with GSAP, equipping you with the skills to transform your web projects into complex, interactive designs. Throughout this hands-on class, you’ll write simple JavaScript and learn how to use pre-made JavaScripts (slideshows, tabbed panels, etc.) to save yourself time and be able to quickly add amazing functionality with relatively little work. You’ll also learn to animate just about anything in a webpage with the GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP), like scrolling animations (including parallax effects), animated logos, banner ads, and much more. This advanced course is for those with previous experience coding webpages. You should feel comfortable coding HTML and CSS and have knowledge equivalent to their Advanced HTML & CSS class.
Additional online options can be found through a variety of providers. A few are outlined below, but you can check Noble Desktop’s classes near me for an up-to-date and comprehensive list.
HTML5 & Cascading Style Sheets 3
CertStaffix offers this course both online and in-person at their various training centers. You’ll learn through hands-on exercises that are task-based and focus on real-world scenarios and challenges faced by students in their day-to-day environments. Topics covered include how to enhance a site with audio and video clips, forms with HTML5 data validation, or CSS3 transitions and animations. You’ll also learn how JavaScript and jQuery add features like accordions, tabs, and slideshows to a page, or how to create a mobile site when a responsive site is impractical. This course also teaches you to use Responsive Web Design (RWD) so your pages will work on any screen, from phone to tablet to desktop and beyond.
WordPress for End Users
CertStaffix also offers a class where you’ll learn how to get started with WordPress, create new content, and change what appears on a homepage or blog post. You’ll also learn to handle media uploads, audio/video players, and podcasting; create basic themes; and publish, move, maintain, and secure your WordPress sites. You’ll receive a certificate of completion and a digital badge at the end of the course that can be added to your LinkedIn or resume. You’ll also get a free six-month retake should you wish to revisit the course later.
Web Development Corporate Training
If you’re looking to offer in-person or online training to your office or team, Noble Desktop can help. They offer a variety of corporate training programs, including in social media marketing. You can order vouchers in bulk at a discount, choose which courses are available to employees, and even let your employees choose their own schedule. Plus, you can choose to have your training hosted at a location of your choosing, live online, or at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan office.
With a top-notch customizable curriculum and instructors who are experts in their industries, Noble Desktop’s corporate training is designed to cater to your business or organization’s needs. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, you can reach out to Noble Desktop at corporate@nobledesktop.com.